Roper dishwasher won't fill after first cycle

My ten year old Roper dishwasher has become dependent on me and my ability to pour pitchers of water into the tub as it makes its way through each cycle. The first cycle fills normally, but the main wash and rinse cycles....silence followed by circulating air....follwed by still dirty dishes.

I have learned to grab a pitcher and start pouring in hot water when the thing goes silent. I don't think the exact amount of water is as important as making sure that there is actual water for the pump to circulate... I may be wrong.

I have also learned that even though Dawn is dishwashing soap, it doesn't really work well with dishwashers....I had to do the pitcher routine in reverse. It takes a while to get all of those suds out of the tub. I am just glad I was in the kitchen when the millions of tiny bubbles started oozing out the side and bottom of my dishwasher. :drowning: It took a couple of cycles to get all of the foam out of the system. I'll stick with Cascade in the future.

Back to my main problem. I have no idea what the problem can be. If it is a big fix problem, I will baby it until I can afford a new model. If it is a minor thing, might I be able to repair the thing myself? Please help

The water inlet valve is getting hot and seizing up after the first fill. You can verify with your meter or light stick by making sure the valve is getting 120v on the second cycle but not letting water in. If so, then replace the valve. Easy job, two mugs on the SUDs-o-meter.